Tevin Andrews has played basketball for as long as he can remember, but this year he wanted to try something different, football. Andrews, a senior Pike County Bulldog, simply wanted to get stronger and more physical, but it turned into more than that for the 6-foot-5-inch athlete.

“I have played basketball all my life and mainly I needed to get stronger and more physical,” Andrews said. “I knew football could help me in basketball, but it was fun and I liked it. The intensity of playing defense is great.”

PCHS head football coach Brad Waggoner knew an athlete when he caught a look at Andrews in the basketball gym one day last summer.

“Tevin is such a great athlete,” Waggoner said. “I saw him in the gym and I called him a few times to try and get him to come out and we got him to summer workouts. The rest was him choosing to stick it out and play this year.”

Waggoner said Andrews struggled early, but he came on late.

“He was very inexperienced at the beginning of the season and he was tested at safety in the Charles Henderson game and he struggled just from the aspect of not having that experience,” Waggoner said. “But I knew he had the ability to play back there. He did not play much receiver, but after we made some adjustments he had to step up and play for us and he did. His breakout game was definitely against Abbeville.”

Against Abbeville, in the first game after those adjustments were made to the Bulldog personnel, Andrews contributed a huge game.

He had three receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown plus two interceptions and a fumble recovered and returned 88 yards for a touchdown.

“It was an astonishing performance for me,” Andrews said. “And it felt good to help my team out like that.”

Andrews has helped the Bulldogs in every game since the Abbeville game and Waggoner said he is glad he was able to get him out on the gridiron.

“You just look at Tevin and he is 6-foot-5, he runs well and he has great leaping ability,” Waggoner said. “He has all the tools to be a great wide receiver and safety. His future is definitely bright.”

And that future may not include sports, as Waggoner said Andrews is a great student and great person.

“He is a senior and he is one who is a good student and he has a great family,” Waggoner said. “He is just a pleasure to be around and he always does the right thing. This is his first year on the team, but he has been a tremendous asset to this program. He has stuck through the tough times with us and now he is really contributing.”

Before this season the decision of which sport he wanted to play in college was simple, but now Andrews admits he has a decision to make.

“I definitely have a decision after graduation,” Andrews said. “Playing receiver is just so much fun, but I still love basketball. Hopefully I will get a scholarship for both and I can choose then.”

No matter what sport he plays or where he ends up, Waggoner said he knows Andrews will succeed in the game of life.